The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-14
SENATOR HARRISON.
Substance of Neat Little Speech Before the
Rhode Island Legislators.


Providence Special.
Senator Harrison. of Indiana, visited the
Senate chamber and the House of Represent
atives today, and made quite pretty speech TIC
the legislators in the lower house. The honor
Of taking recess was accorded to the distin-
guished visitor, who acknowledged the compi-
rneut in a five minute speech addressed to MR.
Speaker and gentlemen of the House of Repre-
sentatives of the State of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations" He had expected
nothing but a pleasant introduction to the
members, but had found cut that here in the
East the American habit of speech making was
strong in Indiana. and that the New
Highlander, we'll the Westerner. expected
any man of even the slightest political promi-
hence to be ready at all times with eloquent
speech.
He congratulated the State on its prosperity,
calling attention to the conditions of human life
which are finding many ameliorations in conven-
tons of the age. The human sympatnies ard
philanthropies finding new and enlarged ex-
pressiOns as the wants of man, the griefs ataa
sorrows that fall upon localities are brought tc
our attention. Rhode Islard, while not a great
State in area was great in what it mad done iu
the useful arts, great in the magnitude and va
riety of the employments of its citizens. 1t had
been great in the representatives which 1t had
sent to the national capital. and it had been
great in achievements through its brave and de-
voted soldiers through the war Of the Rebellion.
Bulk was not greatness, nor was it essential to
greatness either in the individual or the State,
aud in that respect he was entirely in sympathy
with Hnode Island. lie highly appreciated this
privilege of looking into the faces Of those
framing laws regulating and defining the policy
Of the State. 1t was serious and important
work-work that might well challenge and bring
into play their highest sense and the best powers
of their minds After all, the people must work
out for themselves the best results in govern
ment, and in the progress of the arts, sciences
and industries
He thought the science of legislation was the
science of touching as lightly possible the free
dom of the citizen in his individual and personal
action. 1t was not much legislation, but little
legislation wisely applied that furnished the best
government There were classes to be repressed
namely the evil disposed. The well-disposed
were governors unto themselves, each under di-
vine Providence the architect of his own way In
life and needing only that full and enlarged lib
ertv which is guaranteed by the Constitution to
work, according to the measure of his ability the
best work of life for himself. No government in
the world gave the citizen so large opportunities
rs they had here. 1t was the pride of our insti-
buttons and the boast Of our citizenship that we
had no defined classes that men were not
hemmed in, but that there spread above the
head of the poorest boy in the land sky that
was studded with the bright stars of hope. He
might climb. and the limit of his climbing was
in the steadiness of bis own eye and his own
hand. Our history had furnished some noble
examples of this, and meme nobler. none more
characteristics and conspicuous, than that OF tho
| martvred President, Abraham Lincoln.